


A Feast for Cats ~Mouth Watering Ceviche Surprise~

by Cryptographic_Delurk



Category: Princess Connect! Re:Dive
Genre: Canon - Anime, F/F, Rib fracture, Wacky Battle with a Giant Fish, and then the arguments and hurt/comfort and feelings get out of control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25216930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryptographic_Delurk/pseuds/Cryptographic_Delurk
Summary: If Karyl wasn’t thrilled about spending the day ocean fishing for Killer Tuna, she’s even less thrilled about what Pecorine plans to do with the catch.
Relationships: Karyl/Pecorine (Princess Connect! Re:Dive)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	A Feast for Cats ~Mouth Watering Ceviche Surprise~

Karyl huddled towards the centre of the boat, as auspiciously as she could without disappearing inside the cabin. Water on all sides, and nowhere to go if things took a wrong turn. She wasn’t sure how Pecorine had talked her into this. Again.

“Didn’t we do something like this not too long ago?” Karyl whined. “Was the Grilled Kraken not enough for you?!”

Pecorine had climbed out of the engine room and dropped the anchor herself. She was currently hauling bundles of net and wire from one side of the deck to the other. Ikacchi and Charlie passed by every so often and wailed for ‘Peco-neesan’ as they saw to their chores, and Pecorine would respond with shouts of encouragement.

She addressed Karyl next. “But the Killer Tuna is endangering the whole harbour! We have to do something!” Pecorine’s chastisement turned into a beaming smile. “Plus, don’t you want to eat as much Legendary Seafood Cuisine as possible, Karyl?!”

Karyl’s ears twitched. Tuna did sound delicious.

The others took the opportunity to butt in as they passed by.

“Mercury content,” Yuuki offered, with a small thumbs up.

“It is the goal of the Gourmet Guild to search out as many delicious recipes and ingredients as possible,” Kokkoro demurred with a small smile.

“Fine! Fine!” Karyl allowed. Although they were already a few hours out at sea, and the window to disallow anything had long since past. “Just don’t make me do anything scary at the side of the deck!”

“Of course!” Pecorine agreed. “We’ll let you know when we need your magic!”

Everyone took her complaining in good grace, and it made Karyl feel a bit ashamed. She was only standing around as everyone else did the heavy labour. She wished they’d taken another quest. One that didn’t leave her feeling anxious and useless.

Everyone was setting up with line and bait – ready to pass the time pole fishing. The bounty of which could be remade into chum to attract the Killer Tuna. Karyl resigned herself to a long day, and began to climb the ladder to sit atop the cabin. About the best she could do was curl up in the sun and rest until she could be of use.

The Killer Tuna seemed to have other ideas though. It was far more prompt and aggressive an enemy than even the Guild House Manager had predicted.

“It seems a little unnaturally quiet,” Kokkoro’s voice drifted.

It was the only warning before the ship lurched, and Karyl was nearly thrown off the ladder back down on the deck. Her feet dangled, and she only just managed to catch the top of her staff in the crook of her arm.

“It’s here!” Pecorine could be heard from the starboard side of the ship. Ikacchi and Charlie were wailing like children.

The ship continued to jolt, and Karyl couldn’t see what was going on from the wrong side of the ship and clinging to the ladder for dear life. She gripped harder, shoved the arches of her feet against the ladder rungs, so they were locked in by her heels, and crawled up to the vantage point. She clawed at the ledge and, using her staff as leverage, pulled herself up onto the top of the cabin on her hands and knees.

She attempted to stand, and fell to her side when the ship lurched. And then flat on her face when she tried again. Eventually she resigned herself to crawling. She hated the nauseous sway of the boat even when everything was calm, it was unbearable in the midst of this frenzy. Karyl pulled herself on hands and knees to look over the other side of the cabin.

From this height, she could clearly see Yuuki looking chewed up and spit out, Kokkoro nursing the bump on his head, Ikacchi and Charlie running around looking panicked, and the shadow of the Killer Tuna in the water. The crazy thing appeared to be ramming the side of the ship.

Only Pecorine looked her normal amount of immaculate. Her feet spread wide to brace against the deck, and her sword shining brightly in the sun.

Karyl sat up, splayed her legs under her, and gripped her staff in both hands.

Pecorine looked over her shoulder. “Karyl!” she signalled, like they had planned it. The timing was so perfect, maybe Pecorine had planned it. And Karyl’s pathetic fumbling to climb up here and receive her cue had always been part of it.

“Grim Burst!” Karyl called. And the magic channelled through her rod, and her spellbook flipped automatically to the most worn, most used page.

The Killer Tuna launched up into the air, and Pecorine swung her sword to meet it, but that was not the only thing. Karyl had misjudged the amount of mana she’d thrown into the spell and the force of the blast spun a wave of water high, higher than even the full height of the ship.

The ship, thankfully, did not capsize.

Karyl, without anything behind her to break the impact, did.

Her tail was wet, and her skin crawled as she was pushed over the side, free falling into the water. She flailed, and it did no good. And if she had cast her spell for underwater breathing first she might have been okay. But who knew where her staff was now, and even if she had it she wouldn’t have been able to manage the vocal component of the spell.

It was a blur what happened next – a mess of colour and frenzy and sensation. Karyl registered, blearily, that Pecorine’s hands were on her – crossed over her too flat, too firm torso. And Pecorine’s face was so close and her lips so full. And Karyl wondered stupidly if Pecorine would kiss her.

Instead Pecorine pounded her fists under Karyl’s diaphragm. There was a shot of pain and a sickening crack, and Karyl spat at least one lungful of salt water directly in Pecorine’s face.

==

Having a broken rib as an excuse to not contribute, as Pecorine and the others strung the Killer Tuna into a net hanging off the side of the ship, did not make Karyl feel any better or less useless. Karyl’s only responsibility was to use her magic to create some ice to keep the Tuna fresh and chilled, while everyone steered the ship back towards the harbour.

Kokkoro had helped her change into a fresh white shirt and shorts, laid her out on a lounge chair on deck, and advised she breathe deeply but turn her torso as little as possible. When they finally docked and arranged for transport back to the beach house, the others picked up the lounge chair with Karyl still on it and marched it to a shady spot under the palms before the waves.

“Beach Party! Beach Party!” Ikacchi and Charlie called, as they carried the lounge chair like a palanquin. Yuuki slowly took up the chant with them.

Karyl’s attempts to shout a protest were cut short by a sharp pain in her chest.

“Are you okay, Karyl?” Kokkoro asked, once they were settled. She lifted her hand and the magic wind that drew up around Karyl soothed some of the discomfort.

Karyl yawned and shifted in her seat. “I’m fine. You’re a good one, Koro-ster.”

It was light praise, but Kokkoro seemed to take it quite highly, given how happily she hummed as she skipped away.

Karyl spent the afternoon snoozing and waking, occasionally being called on by Mama to produce more ice for the box.

It was nearing dusk when Karyl awoke to find Pecorine set up in a folding chair next to her cutting onions into a bucket.

Karyl watched her for a minute, before Pecorine seemed to realise she was being watched.

“Oh, Karyl!” she perked up.

But there was something sheepish in her voice. She sniffled and lifted her forearm up to rub her eyes against them.

“I’m sorry about your rib, Karyl. I guess I don’t know my own strength.”

Karyl let out a short breath of air. It didn’t hurt so much any more, between the rest and Kokkoro’s spell. “It’s fine, Dumborine,” she huffed. “Thank you for saving me.”

Pecorine gave a watery smile.

“You don’t have to cry,” Karyl said.

“I’m not!” Pecorine protested. “It’s just the onions.”

_Of course._

Pecorine hummed and sniffled while she worked, and eventually Karyl decided encouraging conversation would be better.

“What are you making?”

Pecorine seemed delighted with the question. “We’re going to make some amazing mouth watering ceviche! We have a whole cart load of limes, and cilantro and spices! That’s what the onions are for!” She pointed eagerly down at the barrel. “But we’ll have to do a batch without all the extra fixings too! It’s best made fresh, so later.”

“Why’s that?” Karyl asked absently.

“Because onions and limes are bad for cats.”

Karyl ear flapped from the irritation. “You know I’m a beastman, not a cat, right?”

Pecorine was bursting with so much excitement, the full weight of her body heaved up and down and side to side. It seemed she might topple out of her seat. “Well, it was meant to be a surprise, but I feel like you deserve some good news. It was just supposed to be a relaxing trip for you, but you ended up having to do all this magic for us and getting all hurt,” she said bashfully.

“Get to the point, Pecorine.”

“The reason I signed us up for this quest is because I wanted to use the Killer Tuna to throw a big feast for your kitty friends back in the city tomorrow!” Pecorine effused, teary and bright as she peeled the husk off another onion, and started slicing down the side with her knife. “Ta-da!”

Karyl felt her heart plunge down into her stomach. Why did Pecorine know about that? Why did she care?

Karyl’s eyes narrowed, and she felt the frown tug at her features. “Why would you do something like that?!” she demanded.

“Eh?” Pecorine was flustered. “You’re always going to feed them, but I thought they deserved something extra special once in a while.”

“And-?!” Karyl prodded.

Pecorine’s face fell. “And… they’re also precious citizens of Landsol? And your precious friends from before we met. So I wanted to thank them for looking after you?”

“Yeah! They’re _my_ friends!” Karyl snapped. “As in not _yours_! And I look after them just fine! And nobody asked you to do this!”

“I never said you weren’t looking after them just fine,” Pecorine said, “but-”

“But nothing, Dumborine!” Karyl cut her off. “They don’t need you, and I don’t need you! And ask first, before you selfishly go off deciding to do stupid things like this!” Karyl gritted her teeth. “And you don’t know anything!”

She still hadn’t told Pecorine about her Majesty, and all the things that Karyl herself had done wrong. And she still couldn’t betray either of them, she loved them both so much. And the cats – Hector and Curly and Nyansuke – had been the only ones she could tell everything. The only ones there for her through everything.

And what did Pecorine know about that? Karyl wasn’t like her – the kind that could walk up to anyone and everyone, from the lowliest thief to the most elegant noble, and talk her way into their hearts.

“You don’t know anything! You don’t know what it’s like to not have anyone! Or what they mean to me because of that! Stop trying to pretend you get it!”

There was the slightest expression of hurt that passed Pecorine’s face. And she looked at Karyl with wide, teary eyes.

But that was just the onions. Karyl had seen Pecorine cry for real, in Landsol Castle. And she knew Pecorine knew what it was to be achingly, breakingly lonely. And abandoned.

But she couldn’t apologise, not now. She’d been useless and scared and hurt on this quest she didn’t even want to go on, and she’d at least thought she was doing Pecorine a favour by participating. But the whole quest had been for Karyl’s sake all along.

“Leave me alone. I’m going to bed.” Karyl hurried out of the lounge chair, and her chest stung, but it would be okay. She was young and Kokkoro knew what she was doing with her spells and, worst case scenario, she could go see those awful girls at the medical clinic again.

Karyl ignored the pain, and headed back to her private room in the beach house. She laid down and slept fitfully, through the noise of what must have been the beach party downstairs. And part of her expected Pecorine, or someone else, to burst into her room and say something – demand she participate, or take some painkillers, or apologise for being awful. But nobody did.

==

“ _Please, Karyl, don’t be like that,” Pecorine had pouted. “I know! If you help me with this quest, I’ll wake you up with a hug every day!”_

 _Pecorine’s overexuberance had been only slightly more unwelcome than the blush that crept up Karyl’s arms and face when she thought of waking up every morning to Pecorine’s_ _luscious,_ _smothering curves._

“ _N-No way!”_

==

Karyl woke completely at six in the morning, having contorted herself into an uncomfortable position until the pain in her side forced her into wakefulness. It was quiet, and she looked out the window, where the sun glowed just under the horizon and painted the ocean a dull orange.

The guest room at the beach house was barren, compared to her room back home, in the house that she shared with the others. The sheets were plain white. The shelves were empty, except for five books and a few scattered shells and sand dollars. There were no stuffed animals anywhere.

Karyl did a few light stretches, before deciding she better sneak downstairs now before anyone got up. She wasn’t sure how she would face anyone, doubtless they would take Peco-neesan’s side. But this wasn’t even the least of the things she’d one day have to bear their scrutiny for. She didn’t want to think about that.

She headed down, light on her feet, letting her tail brush against the walls in the stairwell. The downstairs was a poorly concealed mess. The doors on the front patio opened out to the water to let the sea breeze in. Dirty dishes were stacked in piles to be washed later, the tables were sticky with the residue of a fruity drink that was growing increasingly ripe, and bits of confetti littered the floor. Karyl was at least grateful that it seemed the food garbage had been correctly bagged up for disposal.

Karyl’s staff was propped up against the ice boxes, and she checked inside to find them filled to the brim with fish fillets, still cold. Though Pecorine and the others must have eaten a frightening amount the previous night for the rest of the Killer Tuna to fit in the limited space they had. Karyl went for the fridge next, and found a note pinned to it.  
...

_Karyl,_

_You didn’t eat anything last night, so you must be really hungry! We can talk about the rest later, but if you don’t eat your body can’t heal properly!! When you see this, please come wake me up so I can prepare a fresh meal for you, and you can be strong and healthy._ 💪 💪

_💕 Lots of Love,  
Pecorine_

...  
Karyl sniffled. She folded the note with Pecorine’s love and went to place it in the spellbook mounted on her staff. On one of the less frequently visited pages. When it was safely tucked away, she made her way back up the stairs and around the hall to Pecorine’s room.

Nothing was okay. She had acted terribly. And there was no certainty that anything would be okay.

But Karyl was craving buttery French toast, and runny eggs, and mouth watering ceviche.

Karyl knocked lightly and, when there was no answer turned the door handle and slipped inside.

Pecorine was sprawled out on her back, snoring in her lime green night robe. Her room here at this beach house was similarly sparse. Her sword was leaned up against the wall, and her tiara sat on the shelf.

Karyl wondered if it was Pecorine who wanted to wake up everyday to someone hugging her gently.

It was scary, and maybe improper, but Karyl sunk down to her knees and leaned over the bed, pulling Pecorine’s arms and shoulders up just enough that Karyl could sneak her arms under them. She turned her head into Pecorine’s shoulder. She had meant to say something, but there was a lump in her throat, and it was all she could do not to cry.

Pecorine’s snoring stopped. “Oh? Karyl?” she asked sleepily. She drew her arms up and around Karyl’s sides and squeezed, just hard enough to remind Karyl of the pain in her rib.

“Now I know how you feel when I come to wake you up,” Pecorine whimpered. “Just let me sleep a few more minutes.”

Yesterday, Karyl would have snapped that Pecorine had no idea how she felt. And maybe she didn’t. But did it really matter? She was there, and she wasn’t pushing Karyl away.

“That’s fine,” Karyl said. Or tried to at any rate. It came out more like an unintelligible croak.

Pecorine dragged her halfway up onto the mattress, so one knee braced against its edge, and the other dangled awkwardly. And then her grip loosened as she drifted back to sleep.

This was so uncomfortable. And awkward. Karyl’s face burned and her side hurt. But she didn’t want to disturb Pecorine’s sleep any more. She didn’t want to pull away.


End file.
